Outcomes of Educational Technology

The second article conducted by López-Pérez et al. (2013) which hypothesized that: 1. Differences in the number of on-line activities performed by students are related to significant differences in the academic results they achieve, 2. The mean time employed by students in performing on-line activities does not influence the results achieved, 3. The mean frequency of the use of on-line technology by students does not influence the results achieved, 4. The degree of success in the on-line activities the students performed is positively related to the results they achieve.

The mixed learning experience was implemented in the ‘Introduction to Accounting’ course at the University of Granada, which is offered to first-year students in the next four undergraduate-degree courses of study: Business Administration, Economics, Business, Science, and the double degree in Business Administration and Law. The class was offered to 17 groups, with a sum of 1,128 students finishing the course in the 2009–2010 academic year. A student was regarded as to have ended the course when he/she took the corresponding final test. For the aims of this study, the students were distributed into two groups—one group that would finish on-line subject-related activities and a second group of students who would not. This second group represents the control. The teaching methodology included a mixture of face-to-face classes plus 30 activities intended to support the materials offered in the classroom and based on the Moodle platform.

The study results revealed that students who had not made the on-line activities (control group) got an average score of 5.66 out of 10, while those who did got an average score of 6.99. Regarding the control variables, the average university entrance mark attained was near to 7/10 for both groups. Moreover, both groups attended around 80 % of their classes and exhibited largely comparable levels of interest in the subject (3.18 and 3.60 out of 5, respectively).

To test Hypothesis 1, the researchers investigated if there were differences between the final marks got by students who had not made any of the on-line activities and those who had finished a given number of said activities. An analysis of variance showed that there were really significant differences between the results attained by students who had not made any of the on-line activities and those who had. Furthermore, the correlations elucidates the effect of the performance of on-line activities on students’ final marks. Moreover, the students’ final marks rest on certain variables, such as if the activities were made (ACTIVITIES), and on the students’ marks on the university entrance exam (BACKGROUND), their class attendance rate (CLASSES) and their interest in accounting as a subject (PREFERENCE).

The variable ACTIVITIES gives a positive and statistically significant relationship with the final marks attained. The students who did the on-line tasks got a higher final mark than did those who had not did said activities. Both study groups had alike backgrounds, rates of class attendance and subject preferences, but those students who finished the on-line activities attained better learning outcomes.

Also, students’ final marks were positively and significantly correlated with the scores they attained in the on-line activities. The students’ final marks gave a positive association, which was also significant, with their background knowledge, their class attendance rates and their definite level of interest in the subject. Furthermore, there was a negative and significant correlation between the final marks attained and the time given to each of the tasks.

Concerning the control variables, there was a negative and significant relationship between the time used by the students in activities and their background, which could imply that students with less preceding knowledge will increase the use of this type of supportive resource. There was also a positive relation between the score attained in the on-line activities and the students’ preceding knowledge, which implies that students with a better grounding in the subject achieved better results in the on-line activities. Ultimately, the time given to working with the on-line activities and the frequency of their use are not explanatory factors of the final results achieved.

López-Pérez, M., Pérez-López, M., Rodríguez-Ariza, L., & Argente-Linares, E. (2013). The influence of the use of technology on student outcomes in a blended learning context. Educational Technology Research & Development, 61(4), 625-638. doi:10.1007/s11423-013-9303-8